Judaism Case

Judaism is a Jewish religion. In this essay you will read about Judaism and how Chasidics are the most 'Joyous' of the Jewish society. There will also be information in this report about Chasidic Judaism and what it means to be Chasidic. When did the Chasidic Movement start, in relation to Judaism? According to Rabbi Novack, when did Judaism begin? What are the three main Holidays in Judaism? How are Bat Mitzvah and a Bar Mitzvah similar, yet so different? Why do they believe so intensely about circumcision? Are Jewish people, the chosen people of God? Comparing Chasidic Judaism to Christianity? Let us start to explore the world, and find out what Chasidic Judaism is all about.

The Start of Judaism

Judaism started when Moses went up to the Mount of Sinai after leading God's people out of Egypt. According to Rabbi Novack (personal communication 2009) 'this occurs when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments and the Torah for the Jewish people to follow.' Since Pharaoh would not release God's people they would endure the seven plagues.

The passage in the Torah Mosheh 2: Shemot /שׁמות is the same as in the Christian Bible; Exodus Chapter 12. The list of the Seven Great Plagues as listed on Bibleplus that allowed the Hebrews to leave Egypt is as follows but ten actually occurred:

1. The plague of blood

2. The plague of frogs

3. The plague of gnats

4. The plague of flies (God makes a distinction between Israel and Egypt)

5. The plague on livestock

6. The plague of boils

7. The plague of hail

8. The plague of locusts

9. The plague of darkness

10. The plague on the firstborn

The only reason these were God's people; were Hebrew from this point on was because God said in Exodus 7:16 (New International Version) 16 Then say to him the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the desert. But until now you have not listened. They were Hebrew but not yet Jewish. Hebrew was their language and the written scrolls or texts; therefore, Hebrew was not a religion. Judaism began in Judea from the people of Judean, and were considered Jewish or the term Judaism.

What does Chasidic mean?

Chasidic is a revitalized form of Judaism. Rabbi Novack (personal communication 2009), stated that Chasidism is not a sect of Judaism, they are just a renewed full of excitement and they are considered to be the 'Joyous Ones'. Chasidism is a movement that started in the latter half of the 18th Century. This was only to try to spark the Jewish people into a more joyous, loving, excitement of the mainstream Judaism.

A Yarmulke is a hat that is worn on a man's head. And according to Rabbi Novack (personal communication 2009), in Kiddushin 31a it states, "Rabbi Honah ben Joshua never walked 4 cubits (2 meters) with his head uncovered. He explained: 'because the Divine Presence is always over my head." In God's Laws it is forbidden for a man to go four paces without his head covered.'

Chasidic people follow the same strict, traditional, mainstream orthodox, with all the same traditions, rituals, except with a mystical, spiritual excitement to the renewed life of Judaism. Chabad is the name of this sect, even though the Rabbi Novack (personal communication 2009), would beg to differ about being considered a sect. According to the Rabbi, there are no sects just the form of Judaism in which there are different forms (even with them all believing in the same things). As Rabbi Novack explained, there are no sects or cults in Judaism there is just branches off the true Orthodox.

Major Holidays

The first of the major holidays is Passover. Passover is celebrated worldwide by reliving the old story of slavery in Exodus to freedom in Egypt. On the 15th day in the month of Nissan which is a Jewish month, this is Passover. This is the first of the three major holidays with historical and agricultural significance. Passover is best known as the Last Supper.

"Passover" is referred to as the fact the God "passed over" the Jewish people's houses in the slaying in Egypt of the firstborn son. This is called the Pesach in Hebrew which means "pass over". This was all done under the leadership of Moses.

Two observances that are associated with Passover is the seder , and eating Matzoh instead of eating leavened foods like eating regular bread or eating something containing a yeast product.

According to Rabbi Novack (personal communication 2009), 'the second of the major holidays is the Shavuot is a two-day holiday, beginning at sundown of the 5th of Sivan and lasting until nightfall of the 7th of Sivan.' The Shavuot was celebrated by the pilgrimages to the Jerusalem Temple, where the first fruits of their harvests were offered. The Torah was also received on Shavuot in tradition.

The Ten Commandments were received on Mount Sinai by Moses; this is where God's people the Hebrew (Jewish) also accepted the Torah. Here are the three following basic requirements to a Jewish person observing the holiday of Shavuot:

1. Staying up all night to learn Torah on the first night of Shavuot

2. Spreading greens and flowers in the synagogue on Shavuot

3. Eating Dairy Meals on Shavuot

Before the Torah was given to the Hebrew people, the eating of meat was permitted without any ritual slaughter. But once the Torah was given, all methods of a ritualistic killing of an animal for the purpose to eat other than "shechitah" (a ritual slaughter) were therefore prohibited. Since then the shechitah and everyone agree that the Shabbat is the day that the Torah was given so shechitah is not done on Shabbat, and that all Jewish people had too eat dairy products only.

The third and also very important holiday is the Sukkot. The Sukkot is basically for the ancestors of the Jewish people who lived in the Mount Sinai Desert for 40 years living in a small dwelling called sukkah in which they lived during the autumn Sukkot Festival. God had kept them there for 40 years from danger and the many discomforts of the desert. God provided